


Seven

by psyraah



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-18 16:19:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5934898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psyraah/pseuds/psyraah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is just one week of many since Ed crashed into Roy's life, and hopefully one of many more to come.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seven

**Author's Note:**

  * For [YourSassyTeacher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourSassyTeacher/gifts).



> Happy birthday to the wonderful Sassy, who is one of the sweetest people I have had the pleasure of meeting. Hope you enjoy <3
> 
> EDIT: I have been informed by edroys that staplers are called horses in Czech, and I'm glad that I somehow managed to fit in horse-related items in this, even if it is in other languages.

**i.**

“It is my greatest honour and pleasure, once again, to speak of my indebtedness to Edward Elric. As we all know, he has not only saved the country on countless occasions—”

“Shut _up_ , you bastard!”

“—but he also saved the nation’s Fuhrer from certain starvation, and the tyranny of his blonde subordinate, who is ever cruel, ever—”

“Sir, perhaps your time would be better spent on this month’s budgets.”

“—concerned with numbers and minutiae. Truly, a more pitiful hero there never was—ow! Ed!”

Roy tried to glare. He really, really did, but Ed’s scowl was so exaggerated that it was hard not to have a smile tug at his lips.

“You deserved it,” Ed said flatly.

Roy rubbed his head ruefully, bending to pick up the stapler that had been hurled at him. “Perhaps, but you needn’t treat my stationery so harshly. It’s delicate,” he said, petting it gently.

The scowl held for another two seconds, before Ed burst into laughter. “That’s ‘cause you spoil it,” he growled, swiping the stapler from Roy with a grin. Judging from the way that Ed slammed Roy’s innocent stationery back onto its proper place on the table, Ed had judged that the time for gentle treatment of the stapler had long passed.

Roy simply laughed and moved to the couch, settling down as he unwrapped the little bundle Ed had brought along, which released the sweet aroma of stir-fry into the air. Beside him, Ed all but collapsed onto the couch and started separating the little wooden chopsticks from their partners, handing a pair to Roy.

“You don’t have to get back to the lab soon?” Roy asked, accepting the utensils and digging in.

“Nah, Myka’s got things under control,” Ed replied, referring to the chirpy lab assistant that had joined him a few months back. “They’re a blessing, seriously. No dumb questions, no noise, no mess.” Ed sighed happily, and Roy couldn’t resist the dig.

“Guess that leaves you more room for your own mess.”

“Damn right,” Ed laughed. “Where am I gonna put my scribbled notes if someone else’s are in the way?”

Roy made a vague noise of agreement, then any further conversation devolved into “can you pass me a tissue, please?” and “fuck, this is _good_ ” as their meal became their focus.

“You really should remember to eat more often,” Ed said, once they had polished off every last noodle. “Then I wouldn’t have to come and rescue your stupid ass all the time.”

“Firstly, that’s a bit rich coming from you, Edward,” Roy said. “And secondly, why would I want to see any less of you?”

Ed groaned. “I’m stuck being your delivery boy for the rest of my life, aren’t I?”

“Well, it’s a rather…rewarding position.” Roy snuck his arm around Ed’s waist and tugged at the braid.

“Really now?”

“And the work might come with some other very rewarding positions,” Roy said with a slow smile. “If you know what I mean.”

“Mmm, I think I do,” Ed said. He moved in closer, and Roy’s breath hitched when Ed’s lips brushed his own. “Mustang.” It was almost a purr, and Roy almost shivered from the way his name rolled off Ed’s wicked, wonderful tongue. “I think I might have dessert for you.”

Roy swallowed, and moved in to kiss Ed, long, slow, and deep. “Really now?” he murmured against Ed’s lips, and really, could anyone blame him for panting a little?

Then Ed grinned and backed away, and Roy was dumbfounded and disappointed and devastated for a single second, before Ed ducked back behind the desk and revealed a small white box.

“No, really, I brought you dessert.”

Ed—what—wait, Roy recognised that logo.

“No,” he said, disbelieving. “You didn’t.”

Ed crossed back to the couch to settle the little box on the table. “Yep. Lined up for thirty fuckin’ minutes.”

Still taken aback, Roy went to tear the little cardboard haven apart—but no. “Give me a moment, this needs…proper attention.”

Delicately, Roy worked the little tabs out from underneath the white, greaseproof card, while Ed propped himself on the armrest, pressing a kiss to black hair. “Damn right it does.”

But the words were lost on Roy as he lifted the little white lid up, almost reverently.

Ed _did_. Roy’s favourite cheesecake—perfect and pristine—rested inside the little white sanctuary. Plump, red strawberries sat on top, glistening and gorgeous, and it was all covered with a fine dusting of sugar. It was from the little shop around the corner, Roy knew, somewhere he’d stumbled upon right when it had opened up, before it had made a name and the queues had become ridiculous.

It had been almost…a year, more or less, since Roy had last tasted this miracle.

“I—Edward, you know I love you, right?”

Ed grinned and dragged a chair up next to Roy, producing a fork.

“I know,” he said, and Roy did make sure to take the time to kiss Ed’s cheek before taking the fork and sinking it into golden, gooey delight.

“Oh, I could die happy,” Roy mumbled around his mouthful.

“Yeah, try not to do that, I need you around for other things.”

Roy mumbled a distracted semi-reply. All the same, he wasn’t so preoccupied as to neglect his boyfriend. One more forkful was deposited in his mouth before he scooped up another and offered it to Ed, who quirked an eyebrow.

“You all right sharing?”

“Only for you, love. What’s the occasion, anyway?”

“Nothing,” Ed said, leaning forward to accept Roy’s offering. “Maybe I just like you.”

Roy smiled around his mouthful of sugar, swallowed, and kissed a crumb off the corner of Ed’s mouth. “Maybe you do.”

 

**ii.**

For once, Roy wasn’t running late. He’d managed to clock in early in the morning, and with some hard-won concentration, the paperwork stack had been reduced to almost nothing today, and there were no emergencies, or crises, and all his meetings had run smoothly.

Which meant Roy had time to go home instead of rushing to meet Ed at the cinema straight from work, turning up just as the doors were opening (and finding that Ed had already eaten half the popcorn).

Clothes changed, insults hurled, and cat fed, they decided to walk over to the cinema; it was a nice evening, and their destination was only a few blocks away. Although the trip wasn’t long, somehow Roy got caught up in a ridiculous game of counting cars, in which every red car that passed was a point for Ed, and every blue one for Roy.

“It’s not fair; why don’t more people drive red cars in Central?”

“Well, many would consider that red might be a little too vibrant for day to day life, and consider something more stately and serene. Red can be a little…rambunctious.”

Ed glared up at him, unimpressed. “Y’know, I am going home and digging out my old coat _just_ for you.”

Ever the martyr, Roy sighed. “Whatever did I do to deserve this?”

“Said I was a, a little too vibrant,” Ed said, doing his best impression of Roy, complete with holding his fringe up to imitate the cowlick.

“No, no, my dear, you’re never too _anything_ for me,” Roy said, smiling warmly as he drew Ed to his side. “Actually, on second thoughts, that isn’t entirely true. You’re too good, too beautiful, too heart-stoppingly gorgeous.”

“Roy, shit, you gotta _stop_ that.”

Could Roy really stop though? Ed’s little blush was delightful, and the way he tried to hide his face in Roy’s coat was even more so.

“It’s not like you can talk, bastard,” Ed muttered.

Roy hummed contentedly, pausing in their journey so he could press his lips to Ed’s hair. “We make quite the pair then, don’t we?”

Knowing the routine, Ed also stopped so he could lean into the kiss. “Damn right.”

 

 

**iii.**

“Ed, love, I’m really sorry, but I won’t be able to make it home until late.”

“ _…all right. You be careful, yeah?_ ”

“Of course.”

“ _I’ll see you later, then_.”

“You don’t need to stay up, love.”

“ _Shut up, Mustang, I do what I want_.”

“Well…all right. I’m sorry.”

“ _It’s all right, Roy, I get it._ ”

“I love you. Honestly.”

“ _Yeah, yeah. Love you too_.”

 

 

**iv.**

In the end, Roy hadn’t made it home. He hoped that Ed hadn’t stayed up for him. He’d tried, oh he’d tried to drag himself away, but the mess hadn’t been sorted until almost midnight, then there’d been hospital visits and statements to draft. Who in their right minds wou—the victims had been helpless. Well, not entirely, given that they were soldiers, but who expected an attack from their own comrades? They hadn’t, and they _shouldn’t_ have, and even as he scratched his signature onto yet another form, Roy felt himself grapple with the familiar helpless fury. This was all of it, at the end of the day. Lying and twisted intentions buried under obedience and the repetition of words that Roy had forced down everyone’s throats, and how naïve was he to think that old habits and thoughts would die willingly?

He’d visited the hospital, just after one in the morning when he’d been notified that the two Ishvalan soldiers had woken up. They’d been lucky—Havoc had just been on a smoke break, and his favourite spot to do so just happened to be the deserted storage shed where, last night, he’d heard shouting and laughing and fighting. If he hadn’t been there, Roy would probably have two dead soldiers on his hands and no perpetrators.

It had taken Hawkeye back, he knew, just for a moment. He’d seen it in the way her hands had clenched for the briefest second upon entering the hospital room last night. Although she’d stayed at the office the whole night, same as him, he had sent her off to have lunch with the rest of the team. Treat them to something, get them out of the office for a while so that Roy didn’t have to wonder about how he might fail _them_ in the future. As for himself, he’d forced himself to drag his feet down to the cafeteria and grabbed a sandwich, though eating it had been an effort.

The day had been a blur, and there were still loose ends to tie up. He’d had a press conference in the morning already, but there was another to draft to keep the public updated, as well as the round of meetings and speeches he’d have to organise and attend in response to the attack. And not to mention the stack of other work that had been left undone due to the catastrophe, sitting menacingly on his desk, awaiting his return. Really, he should be back there, not sitting in a café—tucked away in the corner to best avoid the whispers “is that the _Fuhrer_?”—with Ed settling a hot chocolate in front of him with a _clunk_.

“Don’t think you need anymore caffeine, I know how much you must’ve had last night.” Ed slid back into the space next to Roy, slurping his own tomato juice. Roy pulled out something that might have been half a smile before taking a sip. It soothed, just a little, but it was too hot for Roy to finish in two gulps, as he’d originally intended.

Which probably had been _Ed’s_ intention.

“Ed, not that I don’t appreciate this, but I should really get bac—”

“Roy.”

Any other day, and Roy might have been able to resist, although that too was debatable, given that Edward Elric seemed to override a lot of Roy’s decision making capabilities. Like that time he’d come home to Ed having managed to down eight shots of coffee within two hours “just to see what it feels like” which had led to strolling around the park at four in the morning, with Ed bouncing between the swings and the see-saws while Roy had yawned all the while.

But right. Ed, here, now, and what had…oh, right. Ed’s steady gaze levelled on Roy, and yes, today he really had little willpower to withstand that determination. It wasn’t fire, not today. This was just simple, concrete Elric stubbornness that had gotten Ed through all he had lost to still have him standing here today.

Whatever remaining protests Roy had were completely burned away when Ed simply reached over to wrap a firm hand around the back of Roy’s neck, and press their foreheads together.

“Ten minutes,” he said quietly. “Just give yourself ten, all right?”

Before Ed, giving himself space was not something that Roy did often. When he crashed, he usually did so straight into a bottle of blissful ignorance and forgetfulness.

But now there were other things to keep him steady. Now, when Roy fell, Ed was always too willing to catch him, perhaps unsteadily, perhaps not knowing what to do sometimes, but he would always be there.

Roy dropped his head onto Ed’s shoulder—slightly uncomfortable for how low it was—and closed his eyes. Ten minutes.

 

 

**v.**

It was really hard, Roy thought, to both shield yourself from a vicious downpour and shield certain important documents from the same. One of them had to go, and unfortunately Roy could be dried where said important documents could not, so it was he who had had to make the noble sacrifice as he sprinted up the drive. But there was something to be said of an extremely warm shower after being drenched to the bone, and his body still recovering from the stress and lack of sleep.

There was also something to be said of the way that Ed’s soaking shirt clung to him when he stepped through the door, things that passed straight by Roy’s brain and went to his cock instead.

“Fuckin’ _shit_ is what this is,” Ed was grumbling as he toed off his shoes. “It was sunny this morning. Who the fuck decided that it could do some freaky Promised Day shit?”

“Fancy that, the weather changing,” Roy said, combing his fingers through Ed’s dripping hair, darkened by the rain. Fuck, the water really had thoroughly drenched him, leaving the shirt clinging to that muscular chest, flattened so Roy could see the outline of a nipple that he just wanted to close his mouth around. “Blasphemy.”

Ed made a face, and he was apparently too distracted by his misery to notice Roy’s attention. “Well, it _should_ stay the same. Fuckin’ stupid.” He pressed a kiss to Roy’s chin before going to shove his boyfriend aside. “I need to go shower.”

Roy remained resolutely in place, slipping his hand from Ed’s hair to instead rest against the back of his neck. “How about I join you?” he murmured, and he tilted his head so he could draw Ed into a kiss, soft but urgent. There was nothing quite like this after the nightmare of the past couple of days, nothing better than Ed’s startled noise that swiftly melted into a moan as he pushed himself up on his toes, desperate for more.

 _Yes_ , Roy thought, and he might have said it out loud as he backed Ed up against the wall, but he wasn’t sure, and he’d be damned if he even bothered to care about something so trivial right now. Ed most certainly did gasp the word as Roy sank his teeth into his lip, grinding against Ed and yanking his shirt from where it had been tucked in. Then heated skin was beneath Roy’s fingers, and he revelled in the way it felt, smooth across the curve of Ed’s spine, rough furrows where the scar covered his side.

“Fuck, Roy,” Ed gasped, clutching desperately at Roy’s shoulders.

“That’s the plan,” Roy panted, nudging his nose against Ed’s. “But let’s get you in that shower first.” Continuing to kiss Ed _very_ thoroughly, Roy planted his hands on Ed’s gorgeous ass. “Up,” he growled, and Ed’s legs came up immediately to circle Roy’s waist. Though Roy had just changed into fresh clothes and having Ed pressed against him like this—heart to heart, breath for breath—meant that he’d have to get a fresh outfit, Roy really didn’t mind. Ed’s had one hand curled in Roy’s hair, and Roy let out a moan of his own when metal fingers—chilled by the rain—skated down his spine, the sensation like a spark in the heat that built between them.

They never quite made it to the bathroom. In fact, it took only a few more moments of desperate kissing before Roy decided that he needed Ed right now.

“Okay, I’ve changed my mind,” he said, breathless. Nipping Ed’s ear had Ed shuddering beneath his hands, and Roy kept his hands on that glorious ass as he carried Ed into the living room to drop him on the couch.

“I think I’ll have you here instead.”

Then shaking hands were fumbling with buttons and the air filled with panted expletives and breathy groans. Hopelessly impatient, Roy yanked at Ed’s shirt and sank to his knees to settle between Ed’s thighs. Then, _finally_ , he got his mouth to Ed’s chest, just as he’d been wanting to since he’d first walked in that door, and Ed let out a strangled cry as Roy mouthed his way across bare skin, hands rough as they pulled Ed closer.

“Fuck, Roy—” The words broke off into another stuttering moan when Roy grazed Ed’s nipple ever so lightly.

“Foreplay first, Edward,” Roy said, smiling slightly. Ed’s groan of exasperation quickly became one of arousal when Roy pulled down his pants in one swift motion, palming his cock through the thin layer of his underwear. He really was irresistible like this: skin still damp from the rain, hair tumbling about his shoulders with his eyes clenched shut and lips parted slightly, just _inviting_ Roy to kiss him brainless.

So Roy moved in, and did just that.

It was some miracle, some strange working of the universe, that meant that Roy could have this, have Edward Elric pressed up against the back of the couch with his breath heavy across Roy’s mouth, with the tiny pleasure sounds humming in the back of his throat when Roy nipped at Ed’s lips. Roy’s hands were still resting firmly against Ed’s back, pulling them together as though he never wanted to let go, never wanted to have more than the breath of space that separated them now, with the press of Ed’s palm against Roy’s hard cock sending pleasure sparking everywhere. Fingers yanked at his shirt, his belt, and fuck, Ed’s growl of “off” as he tugged at Roy’s clothing would be his undoing.

Roy let Ed lift his shirt off, him laughing and Ed cursing when his arm got slightly tangled. The rest of their clothing came off without any other difficulties, and Roy clambered onto the couch to join Ed so that they were pressed, heated skin on skin, Roy’s hands buried in damp hair as they kissed, deep, hot, desperate.

Somehow, Roy had the presence of mind—despite the haze, the heat, despite _Ed_ —to reach over to the coffee table and fumble around in one of the drawers. Ed made an impatient sound against Roy’s mouth just as Roy wrapped his fingers around the tube.

“Come on, bastard, hurry _up_.”

Nipping Ed’s lips one last time, Roy scooted back. “Patience is a virtue, Edward.”

“I’ll show you virtue, just hurry th— _fuck_.” The last word was a drawn out moan as Roy traced the lovely curve of Ed’s ass, and pushed a slicked-up finger inside. As much as he lectured Ed on it, Roy himself was swiftly losing his own patience, cock aching to fill up that tight hole that drew his finger in just so. He watched Ed hungrily, loving the expressions that played across his face, the crease between his brows as he struggled not to close his eyes and to keep his eyes on Roy’s, the way that his moans filled the air despite how he was biting down on his lip.

Roy leaned over to press another kiss to Ed’s nose. “Turn over,” he breathed.

Ed’s breath hitched, but then he was scrambling to roll himself over to lie on his stomach, and Roy couldn’t resist, couldn’t help but press his lips to the rise of Ed’s raised ass, revelling in the moan when he traced the curve with his hands.

“God, Ed, you’re stunning,” he murmured, and Ed made a muffled sound of protest that dissolved into one of pleasure as Roy slipped his finger in once more, still peppering kisses across that gorgeous ass.

One finger became a second and a third, and soon Roy had Ed writhing and gasping, desperate breaths aborted to become moans, his fingers clutching desperately at the arm rest.

“Roy, come _on_ , just fucking get in already.”

Ignoring his own aching cock, Roy licked one last line across Ed’s ass as he crooked his fingers, earning himself a desperate cry before he withdrew his fingers.

“Your wish is my command,” Roy said, and nothing could be truer because nothing was better than seeing Ed happy.

Not that it was a hard task to fulfil Ed’s wishes today, not when it meant sinking into that magnificent heat, pleasure flooding, his hand covering Ed’s.

“Fuck,” Ed gasped. “Fuck, Roy, come on, _more_.”

And Roy gave him just that.

He loved it. He loved fucking Ed just so, harsh breaths and rough cries spilling to fill the air of the room, their _home_ , a place they’d made together for belonging and being. Roy didn’t know how he had ended up here, how he’d managed, for once, to be so _lucky_. To have a lover who knew his mind, his body, his soul, who was careful enough—despite desperate cries and the waves of pleasure—not to let metal fingers clutch too hard, who trusted him enough to let him touch, to hold, to _claim_.

“I love you,” Roy breathed, head bowed and teeth gritted, pressed against the miracle below him. “Fuck, Ed, I love you.”

“I know,” came the reply, equally breathless. “I know, I know, I know, _fuck_ , Roy, yes, I—”

Then Ed tightened around Roy, hands scrambling desperately as he came on a wordless cry that might’ve been Roy’s name or vicious cursing, but none of that mattered. Not when he had Ed like this, Ed pushed to the edge beneath him, his skin slick on Roy’s own and Roy’s cock deep inside. The slide of Ed tight around Roy’s cock was maddening, wasn’t enough, was too much, too much of a good thing that had Roy careening towards that familiar edge and his breath dragging out in harsh pants, breaking, building, undoing—

“Ed, _Ed_ , I need—”

It was fire in his veins, burning in the best way as Roy spilled himself inside Ed, letting out a cry of his own with the white out, his rhythm faltering as he hit his peak. Roy shook with the force of the white-hot pleasure, utter bliss with Ed’s body still warm and firm and _wonderful_ beneath his own as he spilled heated moans into the curve of Ed’s shoulder.

Gradually, Roy came back down, breathless, with the body below him heaving with the effort of breathing.

“Fuck,” he said, then collapsed onto Ed, who yelped.

“Get off me, you bastard!”

“I seem to recall you singing quite a different tune not moments ago.” Roy grinned, although he did pull himself out with a groan so he could lie beside Ed and wrap his arms around him, both of them making a face at the mess.

“Yeah, well, times are changing and shit.”

“Mhm.” Roy nuzzled his nose into Ed’s hair, still damp from the rain. “I’m sorry I distracted you from that shower,” he murmured, letting his eyes flutter shut.

“Yeah, if I catch a cold and die it’s on you,” Ed mumbled, burying his face in Roy’s neck.

Roy made a contented noise at the contact, and let his hand settle on Ed’s shoulder as they drifted, too tired to move. But then he was jolted out of his drowsiness when he felt something brush against his foot. Doing the bare minimum, he lifted his head slightly and peered over to see that their cat was licking his toes.

“Ah, yes, it’s almost time for dinner isn’t it?” But he really couldn’t move right now, so he settled back once more. Ed grunted a question, and cracked an eye open, stretching up just enough to find the source of the faint scratching sound.

“You go feed her, then,” Ed said, though he burrowed further into Roy’s skin. “I need that shower.”

“Yes, we should get up.” But neither of them moved to do so, being content to do nothing but hold and be held for another little while. The cat meowed, and their skin cooled, as they lay next to each other in a space too small to fit the both of them.

 

 

**vi.**

Ed’s expression was _distinctly_ unimpressed.

“Really, Roy?”

Still grinning, Roy continued holding out his offering enticingly. “Yes, really.”

“You’re the sa—”

“Sappiest bastard that you’ve ever known across three different countries, yes, Edward, you have mentioned that before.” It was hard to be offended. Although Ed’s arms were crossed, his shoulders hunched, and a scowl fixed resolutely to his face, the dusting of red across his cheeks was unmistakeable, not matter how hard he tried to bury his face in his crossed arms.

“Yeah, well, if you know, then why do you do shit like this?”

“Do you not enjoy it?”

“Well, no, it’s not that.”

“Then here, this is all you need to say: thank you Roy, what a lovely present, I love getting flowers!”

Ed’s scowl softened somewhat, and Roy thought it safe to extend his gift once more. With apparent reluctance, Ed took the bouquet from Roy.

“I just—I mean, thanks, and I _do_ like it.” The frown came back, though not with the same ferocity, speaking of bafflement rather than anger. “I just…I don’t get it.”

Confused, Roy brushed Ed’s bangs aside so he could cup his face. “I love you,” he said with a smile. “You bring me lunch and drag me out for decaffeinated drinks. I appreciate you.”

The plastic sheet around the flowers rustled when Ed moved in to wrap one arm around Roy, and Roy, careful not to crush the gift, drew Ed in closer. It was a few minutes before Ed made his next comment.

“It’s just…different, y’know?”

Roy was tempted to say that he didn’t, but he stayed silent, sensing that Ed would explain without prompting.

“Like, Al, yeah, he’s family, and Win’s pretty much the same. But you don’t—like, just in the abstract, you don’t have any family obligation shit or anything to keep…doing stuff like this.”

It was always a wonder how Ed, for all his intelligence and single-minded observation, failed to see how he just…drew people in. Across coalmines and nations, he’d had far stronger people than Roy caught with that glint in gold eyes and that passionate red.

“I like to see you happy, Ed,” Roy murmured. “I don’t quite understand what possesses you to line up half an hour for cheesecake either, when you don’t have the patience to wait an extra two minutes for me to choose the correct pair of shoes to wear. But I have learned, at least in part, to just accept that you will do things like that for me.” Roy kissed the patch of skin beneath that ridiculous spike of blonde hair before drawing back to catch Ed’s eye.

“All right?”

There was a single moment of further hesitation as golden eyes searched his own, before Ed allowed himself a smile. And when he looked like that, really, was there any question why Roy would do everything in his power to give this man a reason to unfurl that smile?

“All right,” Ed said, and his hand squeezed Roy’s wrist. “All right.”

 

**vii.**

Sewing was a strange pleasure for Roy. There was concentration, and a single-mindedness that meant that the ever-present humming his mind, for a while, could be forgotten as metal peeked in and out of the green pocket he was affixing back to the shirt that housed it.

Not far from him, Ed also perched on the couch, cross-legged with a book spread in his lap. The open window let through the occasional _crrrt_ of a cicada and the whir of a passing vehicle, and every now and again Ed would scoff at something he was reading, or Roy would bring up something ridiculous he’d seen today but had forgotten to tell Ed. There’d be an occasional prod to Roy’s ribs, a soft protest, or a chuckle. But overall it was quiet, it was familiar, and it was home.

The cat jumped up between them, yawned, and went to sleep with its head pillowed on its paws.


End file.
